Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd If the doors of opportunity had ever opened, Jiri Bubla might have shone for Czechoslovakia in the NHL of the 1970’s as Borje Salming did for Sweden. Instead, the 5-11, 200-pound native of Usti nad Labern kept his talents on the other side of the Atlantic, […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd Jannik Hansen is one cool customer. Insert the Portland Winter Hawks rookie into the first-ever shootout in team history (November 8 versus Prince George), and he responds by scoring the winning goal. Inform him that pop singer Jessica Simpson (his dream date according to the […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd Operating an expansion team is often like being the new kid in school: nobody really knows you, and you get pushed around in the beginning. But the Chilliwack Bruins hope to minimize those growing pains as they enter 2006-07 as the WHL’s 21st and newest […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd There’s an old joke about the pianist who asks how to get to New York’s Carnegie Hall. The answer is: “Practice.” It’s similar with the Vancouver Giants. Sure, they may already be the defending WHL champions and guaranteed a 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup berth as […]

By Lucas Aykroyd Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” But far more progressive attitudes were in evidence at the 2000 Play Right Coaches Conference at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver from July 6 to 9. The conference brought together some 500 hockey coaches from every level: minor, junior, […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd It hurts to be dumped. But maybe if you’re being dumped by Philadelphia GM Bobby Clarke, it doesn’t feel so bad. At least if you ask Eric Lindros. Jan Hlavac, who was shipped to Philadelphia in the deal for the Big E last summer, is the […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd “Sensational,” “slick,” and “savvy” are terms often applied to the Sedin twins. However, in recent weeks, “struggling,” “slowing down,” and “searching for answers” have been bandied about. Fortunately, Vancouver’s heralded Swedish rookie duo hasn’t been expected to do all the scoring, as they might on an […]

Originally published in Full Tilt in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd If you have a Canucks logo tattooed on one bicep and a Canadian Maple Leaf on the other, hopefully you wore long-sleeved shirts in February. International hockey is wonderful when you win, but it’s a cold feeling when you lose. Before the 2006 Olympics kicked […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2004 By Lucas Aykroyd The current National Hockey League lockout doesn’t have many upsides to it. Here in Vancouver, whether you’re a Canucks season ticket holder or a fan who usually catches the games at the local pub, an employee at GM Place or a member of the media […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd Hockey fans in Vancouver are hungry for a championship. After all, the last Stanley Cup victory came in 1915 with the Vancouver Millionaires. The Canucks got close in 1982 and 1994, but the club’s only titles were in its pre-NHL, minor-league incarnation. So some Vancouver […]